Willowbrook’s Amelie Ojeda counts another historic accomplishment, becomes school’s first sectional XC champ

HINSDALE – Willowbrook senior Amelie Ojeda was building off her breakthrough 2023 girls cross country season with even more training and success on the track.

Practicing inside after the indoor conference meet, Ojeda was struck in her left eye by an errantly thrown baseball. She was sidelined the entire outdoor season recovering from the injury and a concussion.

”I was just in the wrong place, wrong time. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor,” said Ojeda, whose eye has almost fully recovered. ”I persevered. Even though it did take away my track season, that’s why I put a lot of work into my cross (country) season (since June). I thought, ‘Now I have to be extra serious because this is where it counts.’ ”

Ojeda counted a historic accomplishment Nov. 2 by becoming her school’s first girls sectional champion at the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional at Katherine Legge Memorial Park in Hinsdale.

Ojeda, who finished in 16 minutes, 35.58 seconds for 2.9 miles, broke 17 minutes for the first time after becoming the program’s first girls regional champion Oct. 26.

At state Nov. 9 at Peoria’s Detweiller Park, Ojeda (37th in the state in 2023) hopes to challenge the program’s highest finish (fifth).

“I want to do top five. I might as well aim for the top,” Ojeda said.

Both Downers Grove North teams have state trophy hopes after winning impressively.

The Downers Grove North boys, who are the defending Class 3A champion and ranked No. 1 all season, won the sectional title with 38 points. Junior Philip Cupial (14:07.37) and senior Grant Schroder (14:10.76) finished 1-2 and junior Will Surratt (fifth, 14:26.70) and senior Brady Travers (ninth) also were in the top 10 to earn all-sectional honors.

Cupial (seventh) and Schroder (10th) are the Nos. 3 and 6 returning 2023 state finishers.

”We’re just going to put ourselves up there (at state) and push the pace,” Cupial said. “Without Grant I don’t think I could push myself to my limits. It’s a good feeling knowing there’s someone that wants it as much as you.”

The Downers Grove North girls won the sectional title with 28 points. They had five all-sectional performers – senior Alayna Todnem (second, 16:51.55), junior Lily Eddington (fourth, 17:09.07) and seniors Audrey Casten (sixth), Kenzie Willard (seventh) and Ava Gilley (ninth).

The Trojans were second at state in 2023 and this season are ranked No. 2 to Barrington, which was third at state last year. Defending state champion York is ranked No. 3.

”We definitely haven’t always had perfect years of feeling great,” said Casten, who ran injured at state last year. “At the point that we’re at, we’re feeling ready and excited with what that’s going to bring for us.”

The top seven sectional teams advanced to state as well as the top 10 individuals not among those teams. Both sectional races featured seven top-30 ranked teams.

In the girls race, Naperville North (58), Naperville Central (123) and Waubonsie Valley (153) were second, third and fourth. Hinsdale Central (183) and Downers Grove South (184) were sixth and seventh. The Mustangs edged eighth-place Neuqua Valley by 10 points for their first state team berth since 2019.

”We knew that we had a shot if we ran really well. Nobody was expecting it,” Downers Grove South coach Doug Plunkett said. “From where we are at the beginning of the season, they’ve come a long way.”

Sophomores Nia Ortega (22nd), Gianna Lamb (25th) and Rose Jones (29th) led the way. The lineup has been boosted by senior all-stater Holly Johnson’s return since the conference meet.

”We’re kind of like the underdogs. A lot of people didn’t really believe in us, but it kind of just pushed us harder,” Ortega said. “We had to work really hard to get to where we are so we’re all really proud.”

Junior Lily Hodneland (15th) and sophomore Ella Satre (16th) led Hinsdale Central.

Individual qualifiers included Glenbard East freshman Teigan O’Donnell (24th) and Lyons Township junior Mya Coglianese (32nd), who overcame an Achilles injury that kept her out of regionals.

In the boys race, Lyons Township (112) was a strong second while Morton (190) was seventh.

Lyons seniors Ben Wuggazer (third, 14:16.62) and John O’Halloran (seventh) were all-sectional. The Lions expect to be a state contender after taking fourth in 2023 but graduating both all-staters.

”I would say our goal definitely is top five. We’re hunting for a trophy,” Wuggazer said. “We’ll see what happens but I think it’s in sight, especially after today.”

Morton earned its first team state berth since back-to-back trips in 1996 and 1997 under current coach Bill Bloom and only its fourth trip to state overall. Unranked Hinsdale Central (238) was eighth.

”We didn’t know for sure we were going to make it in so when we got the news, we were really excited,” said Morton sophomore Miguel Flores (sixth), who was all-sectional. “I feel like we’ve all been pushing each other to try to get to this level.”

Bloom figured beforehand the Mustangs needed three top 20 finishers to advance. Juniors Orlando Sandoval and Alex Rodriguez were 14th and 20th. Initially, the Mustangs heard they were eighth with three individual qualifiers. Team scores then were refreshed with previously missing finishers.

”We went through all of the emotions. I was giving the old, ‘Hey, guys, we didn’t make it,’ speech but then they came over and go, ‘Hey, we got in by (48 points),’ ‘’ Bloom said. “It was a day of ups and downs. How exciting for this school.”

Individual qualifiers included Riverside-Brookfield senior Brady Norman (13th), Downers South sophomore Conrad Saner (19th), Glenbard East junior Mason Hephner (23rd) and Willowbrook senior Adriano Quintero (28th), the final qualifier by 3.25 seconds.